by Health Safety on March 18, 2009
Kitchens are where everything happens. It’s not just where meals are prepared – it’s usually the hub of the home, where family and friends get together to spend time. Cooking and eating together is about more than nutrition for the body. It’s also the experience of connecting and interacting with family members, to feed relationships. Try to choose one meal that everyone comes to the table. It doesn’t have to be dinner. This is a challenge as everyone has their own activities (especially as children grow), but starting early promotes the importance of family time together, and also demonstrates a healthy attitude towards food and eating.
Socializing
• Children love playing with simple pots, pans and wooden spoons. Give them some to play with, or buy them their own play set
• If you’re in the kitchen they want to be there too. Find a place that’s safe, but also allows you to engage with them
• When eating, have them sit at the table in age appropriate high chairs and booster seats
• Interact with children at mealtimes, even when just starting on solid food
• Create a stress fee feeding environment for your baby
Teaching
There are many lessons to be learned in the kitchen. You can start teaching very early. Cooking is a skill your children will use forever and you’ll create fond memories together. Even a baby’s early development can be taught in the kitchen:
• Colors and numbers – have your baby count the numbers of apples you’re peeling and ask the color
• Vocabulary – tell the baby the names of all your ingredients and ask her to repeat them
• Safety – show them the dangers in the kitchen – what not to touch and why
• Agriculture – where food comes from. How do fruits and vegetables grow? You may even consider planting a garden, so your child can see the whole process
• Table manners – the use of utensils, saying “please” and “thank you”
• Following directions – a recipe can help with reading comprehension and how to follow instructions
As your child ages, you can also teach them how to make family recipes and share with them about your own childhood and family mealtimes.
Cooking
Cooking does not have to be a major event if you do not have the time or energy. Many people think they can’t cook, but they prepare meals all the time. It does not require a recipe book or hours of time alone in the kitchen. You only need an imagination and a stocked pantry or refrigerator.
• Find a safe place for baby to watch you cook and talk to them to keep them interested – always remember to take a break and spend a few minutes playing or hugging
• Interruptions will happen – make foods that can be prepped easily or make meals in stages
• Allow children to choose foods and meals for the family – they can take pride in the family meal and that they’ve contributed
• When age appropriate, allow children to help with tasks such as mixing dough, peeling vegetables, setting the table, making family name cards
• Children will spill and make mistakes – be patient
Health and Nutrition
You want your child to grow up with healthy attitudes towards food and nutrition. They will look at what and how you eat for guidance. If you are always dieting and not enjoying food, you may pass along negative feeling about food to your children.
• Have them see you enjoying healthy foods
• Avoid foods that you do not want your child to eat. If they see you eating cookies, they will want cookies too.
• Avoid forcing your child to eat – children will eat if they are hungry
• Introduce a variety of flavors and textures to your children’s diet
• Eat whole foods vs. “fast” foods
• Create a stress fee feeding environment for your baby
• Avoid bribing children with sweets
Food and Memories
Food can remind us of special occasions, events, people, etc. “Comfort foods” are those that make you feel good and often remind you of your past or childhood. Usually these foods are rich in flavor and texture (creamy, crunchy). We sometimes rely on these foods to comfort us when we’re not feeling well or want to be reminded of a special time or event. These foods may also reflect an ethnic heritage, culture, region and time. They may be time consuming to make, such as a Thanksgiving dinner or they may be quick and easy (Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches)
Ask yourself “what are my comfort foods and why?”, and “which foods would I like to become my child’s comfort foods and why?”
Lisa Barnes is the owner of Petit Appetit a cooking service devoted to infants and toddlers. She teaches private and group cooking classes to parents throughout Northern California, and is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (Penguin, March 2005) For more information visit http://www.petitappetit.com
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
by Health Safety on March 17, 2009
Babies usually triple their birth weight the first year. That’s why nutritious and safely handled food, served in an age-appropriate way, is so important. Being aware of safe food handling practices and potential feeding dangers are the best ways to protect your family from food illnesses and accidents, while also giving your child a healthy start on development and growth. Here are a few important tips and reminders.
1. Wash Hands. It’s important to wash your hands before preparing food or beverages, especially when feeding babies. According to a Penn State University study of mothers with infants less than 4 months old many moms said they routinely forget to wash their hands after changing baby’s diaper, and using the bathroom. Not washing hands could result in infant diarrhea from the bacteria transferred while engaging in these activities.
2. Handle Bottles Carefully. Although some babies will drink a bottle straight from the refrigerator, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises most babies prefer milk warmed to room temperature. Warm the bottle by holding it under a running hot-water faucet or putting it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Shake well and test milk temperature to make sure it’s not too hot before feeding. Microwaves can heat unevenly. Children’s mouths and throats can be severely burned by bottles heated in the microwave. Always discard leftover milk in bottle to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria.
3. Cow’s Milk. Avoid serving regular cow’s milk until infants are 1-year-old. Before then, infants may experience an allergic reaction, stomachache and low blood iron. When you begin serving regular cow’s milk, serve whole milk. Do not switch to lower fat milk until the baby’s doctor recommends this change usually around age 2.
4. Mixing Cereal and Formula in the Bottle. Do not serve cereal mixed with formula from a bottle. Many think this practice helps babies sleep better through the night, however there is no evidence of this. Plus, there is a possibility of a baby choking.
5. Hold Baby When Bottle-Feeding. Babies who are put to bed with a bottle are more likely to have cavities. This practice also increases the potential of choking.
6. Limit Juice. Serve only 100 percent juice and in small quantities so it doesn’t interfere with the infant eating other nutritious foods. AAP recommends giving juice diluted with water only to infants who are approximately 6 months or older and who can drink from a cup. AAP recommends offering no more than a TOTAL of 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day to infants. (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition)
7. Avoid Honey And Corn Syrup. Do not serve infants honey or corn syrup during the first year of life. These foods may contain botulism spores that could cause illness or death in infants.
8. Food Introductions. When introducing new foods, try only one at a time, and start with single-ingredient foods. Avoid serving mixed ingredient foods until each food has been given separately. Begin by serving about 1 to 2 tablespoons and then increase the amount as baby wants more. Wait at least 3 days before trying another new food so you can tell if there are any adverse reactions.
Iron-fortified rice cereal is usually the first food offered, as this is easily digested. It’s frequently recommended to continue fortified baby cereal through the first year of life.
Remember your baby will still be receiving the majority of nutrition from breast milk or formula during the first year.
9. Serve Solids Safely. Transfer an amount you feel baby will eat from the baby food jar to a dish. Throw away any food left uneaten in the dish. Avoid feeding directly from the baby food jar. Bacteria from a baby’s mouth can grow and multiply in the food before it is served again. Use refrigerated jarred baby foods within 1 to 2 days after opening.
Once opened, do not leave baby food solids or liquids (breast milk or formula) at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Bacteria can grow to harmful levels when food is left out longer than this.
10. Choking Hazards. Avoid serving foods that may choke an infant, such as nuts and seeds, raw carrots and celery, whole kernel corn, raisins, large chunks of meat or cheese, popcorn, chips, pretzels, grapes, whole berries, cherries, unpeeled fruits and vegetables, hard candies, pickles, hot dogs, marshmallows (regular or miniature), and peanut butter. In general, avoid foods that are round and firm, sticky and chewy or cut in large chunks.
As infants grow into toddlers, they can begin eating the foods above, if cut into small pieces. Most pediatricians advise foods should be no larger than 1/4 inch for toddlers and 1/2 inch for preschoolers.
Lisa Barnes is the owner of Petit Appetit, a cooking service devoted to the health and nutrition of infants and toddlers. She is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (Penguin, March 2005) and teaches cooking classes to parents in Northern California, who want to provide fresh, healthy, organic foods to their family. For information and to sign up for a free newsletter visit http://www.petitappetit.com
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
by Health Safety on March 16, 2009
It seems there is an exception to nearly every rule, and the codes that govern kitchen hood installation are no different.
These codes are designed to promote health and safety. Most governmental building inspectors establish and enforce code requirements for their state and/or city.
Having this sort of “book knowledge” is good, but “real world” knowledge also is necessary to adequately enforce the code
That lack of real world experience often prompts plan examiners to go against the intent of the code- to ensure health and safety- while attempting to follow the letter of the code.
Some plan examiners need to pay more attention to the safety tips the contractors are proposing and consider that we are doing what we can to comply with the code.
Imagine a situation in which a kitchen hood system has to be installed in a new building and the code required that the system be installed 10 feet from the edge of the roof. However, doing that would have made future cleaning, repairs and services difficult and dangerous for workers, because of a nearby hedge and a slope on the building.
Sometimes when you comply with the code, real safety and practicality are being ignored just to meet the code. But you shouldn’t forget that the concept of safety and practicality is a great issue too.
The Process
When a hood cleaning company is hired to install a hood system, someone must first submit drawings to the appropriate plan examiner for the city. In some cities, this is a person who has a background in the field and engineering and/or design knowledge.
Sometimes the plan inspector is someone who may possess the book knowledge, but they’ve never worked in the field and don’t realize that following the code actually decreases safety in some cases.
Basically, they just read from the code book. If the code says to put in 10 access panels, that’s what they expect, even if doing so would mean that some of those panels aren’t accessible. That is not practical, nor does it make good sense.
In situations where the hood installation firm recommends an alternative to strictly adhering to the code, someone with the firm takes this idea to the city and explains the situation. If it is believed that putting an exhaust fan five feet from a building’s edge because at 10 feet, there is a slope that would make cleaning and servicing the fan more dangerous, he tells the examiner.
Once the examiner approves the alteration, they include an explanation on the drawing that explains why the code won’t be followed in that situation.
Thankfully, examiners who insist on following the code without exception are few.
This happens seldom, most planning examiners are pretty reasonable, knowledgeable guys. They understand what’s out there, and they know when the guy in the field is telling them something different from the code, it’s because there is a safer way, not because he’s trying to make the work easier.
The danger in having these “strictly by the book” examiners is that is breeds apathy over time and contractors begin to stop considering the long-term consequences of their work.
Contractors should put personal care into their work. They should consider safety in everything they do and work to ensure there are no flaws. But because there are “pencil pushers” who enforce the code without any external considerations, many contractors today just build according to code and don’t consider the consequences.
The code is designed to protect people and promote safety. We don’t want to get around the code, we just want to make sure we follow the spirit of the code and the intention behind it.
About APS-Hoods
APS-Hoods is a Denver, Colorado based full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and cleaning for hood and fire suppression systems. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh in 1989, APS-Hoods has grown into a national leader in kitchen hood sales, hood cleaning and fire protection for restaurants and facilities.
Reputable, professional restaurant hood cleaning services are trained to safely use 3,500 to 4,000 psi steam cleaners to penetrate and cut through built up grease.
© 2008 Sinai Marketing and APS-Hoods. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
by Health Safety on March 15, 2009
Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary islands and is becoming increasingly popular as a holiday destination due to its constant sunny weather, making it ideal for sunbathers and water sports lovers all year round. The island has long sandy beaches which are considered to be some of the best in Europe, in contrast it has rugged moon like terrain suitable for off road biking and quad biking.
The following helpful tips on Health and Safety while you are on Fuerteventura will ensure that you have a safe holiday.
* Tap water is not recommended for drinking, not because it isn’t safe, just that the water on the island has a high mineral content which can give foreigners “holiday tummy”. Buy bottled water which is readily available and cheap.
* Fuerteventura does not have malaria carrying mosquitoes so no inoculations are needed before you go, but it is a good idea to take insect repellent for the beach and a plug in for your room at night.
* There are English speaking doctors and dentists in most resorts.
* Chemist are easily recognizable by a large green cross on a white background displayed above the the shop.
* Most keep shop hours, but there is always a 24 hour rota system for emergencies; each chemist has the name of the nearest farmica de guardia (duty chemist) displayed in the window.
* Some popular beaches have lifeguards and use the flag system.
* Green means you CAN swim, safely.
* Yellow is for STRONG swimmers only.
* Red means NO SWIMMING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
* The cool breeze on the island can make the actual heat feel deceptive. Make sure you apply sun tan lotion, with a high factor, regularly. Remember to also re-apply after coming out of the sea or pool and try and keep out of the sun between 12 noon and 3pm.
If you would like to enjoy all that the lovely island of Fuerteventura has to offer in the peace and quiet of a secluded villa. Villa La Perla Negra on the recently finished Bahia Azul estate makes an ideal basr from which to explore the island. With 3 bedrooms that sleep 6, your own private lagoon shaped pool, hot top on a rooftop terrace, please visit http://www.relaxxation.co.uk for more details, availability and booking.
If you would like more facts and information on Fuerteventura please visit http://www.fuerterelaxation.com for your FREE report.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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